$1400 to spend, what to buy??

[bdicustoms]

I have $1400 that im looking to spend on camera gear. All I have now is a 30D, battery grip, kit lens and a 50 1.8 and im looking to start gearing up to start doing weddings. I know with the gear i have now id be crazy to do weddings but i have some cash i want to spend for gear.

I know off the bat i need a 580ex, so thats $400 off that $1400, now i need a lens/lenses. From what i read about wedding lenses, the 17-55 f/2.8 seems to be the most popular but should I go that route or pick up a few prime lenses, like the 85 f/1.8 and the 24 f/1.8??

[egordon99]

You need a second body, and probably a second flash. I'd buy those before a prime.

[Valjoy]

This is such a subjective subject...you will get many varied veiws from different people.
I shot my 1st 2 weddings with the 18-55 is and the 50 1.8. These 2 weddings allowed me to pay for the lens that I now use 90 % of the time for my weddings 17-55 2.8. I also love my 85 1.8.

Yes you will need the 580 flash....but I think your next buy should be a backup camera.
The one thing I would never do is to only have one camera for a wedding.
good luck cheers Val

[tim]

Wedding FAQ (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=255604). If you want to go pro increase your budget by between 5x and 10x. Backups are essential.

[czeglin]

Would you recommend he buy a backup camera given his lens selection? I would think the 17-55 is a better starting place. You can rent a backup camera for weddings for the time being but the lens will serve you well as a primary all the time.

[bdicustoms]

I have access to borrow another Canon DSLR if needed for weddings for now. I will continue to 2nd shoot for at least a few weddings before I do one on my own.

[Jethro790]

Flash, yes you have that covered, and yes, I agree you need a lot more than $1000 will buy. But I guess I would start with a second body. People say to rent a body if you have too... have you seen the prices of renting camera bodies? A 40D will cost you $250 minimum. FORGET that, I'd buy a 40D in heartbeat and rent the lenses you think you'll need.

Edit, didn't see you last post. A 17-55 is a good choice for sure.

[RT McAllister]

the 17-55 f/2.8 seems to be the most popular but should I go that route or pick up a few prime lenses, like the 85 f/1.8 and the 24 f/1.8??I don't know what kit lens you have (you don't say) but you will need something wide for formals like the 17-55.

After this and the flash, you're broke but still missing something a bit longer. I'd personally hate to shoot a ceremony with the 50mm.

[bdicustoms]

sorry, the kit lens that is have is the 18-55.

[cory1848]

I shoot with a Tamron 17-50 2.8. They now have a 2.8 VR lens that is nice. Very sharp and competes with the canon 17-55 for much less cost. Or, the 24-70 Canon.

I also get by with Canon 430 flashes. About half the cost of the 580 used and only about a stop less power. Do I want a 580? Sure, do I need it? Not really.

The 18-55 kit lens probably wont be sharp enough or fast enough for low light wedding work.

[RT McAllister]

I also get by with Canon 430 flashes. About half the cost of the 580 used and only about a stop less power. Do I want a 580? Sure, do I need it? Not really.I agree, the 430's are fine.

But it's nice to use a 580 along with one or two remote 430's as slaves - especially if you don't want to invest in pricey pocket wizards. Makes for a nice ultra portable lighting kit too.

[form]

You could buy my whole current setup for under $10k if you got average deals on used equipment. I am by no means 100% equipped for ultimate convenience in all weddings but I have enough for just about anything that comes my way. To get everything else I would really like to have (helpful extras and upgrades) would require another $10k or so, between new camera bodies, a 16-35L, 24L and 50L, and several more 580EX flashes.

The uber-cheap wedding setup would be comprised of two 40Ds ($1200), 1 or 2 430EX or 580EX flashes ($200-$600), a 17-50 or 17-55mm f/2.8 lens ($300-$700) and a Canon 50mm f/1.4 or Sigma 30mm f/1.4 ($300-$350?), plus memory and batteries ($150-$200). Minimum is about $2150 of equipment. This wouldn't be an all-things-are-possible setup but would handle most things OK. Wouldn't shoot weddings with lower than a 40D in the xxD line because of AF.

[cory1848]

You could buy my whole current setup for under $10k if you got average deals on used equipment. I am by no means 100% equipped for ultimate convenience in all weddings but I have enough for just about anything that comes my way. To get everything else I would really like to have (helpful extras and upgrades) would require another $10k or so, between new camera bodies, a 16-35L, 24L and 50L, and several more 580EX flashes.

The uber-cheap wedding setup would be comprised of two 40Ds ($1200), 1 or 2 430EX or 580EX flashes ($200-$600), a 17-50 or 17-55mm f/2.8 lens ($300-$700) and a Canon 50mm f/1.4 or Sigma 30mm f/1.4 ($300-$350?), plus memory and batteries ($150-$200). Minimum is about $2150 of equipment. This wouldn't be an all-things-are-possible setup but would handle most things OK. Wouldn't shoot weddings with lower than a 40D in the xxD line because of AF.

I have 2 30d's and the AF is fine on them. Know people that still shoot with 20d's.